The Most Beautiful Thing
by ammyDOS101
Summary: Chell is out of Aperture once and for all, and she might even be getting used to a normal life, despite the occasional nervous breakdowns. Then the tables turn when Wheatley finds her, saying that GLaDOS needs them. Secrets are revealed, and the trio must put aside their differences to save the facility. android!Wheatley ( Cover image by raintalker on deviantart )
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys :) I was bored, so I wrote this little piece. I hope you like it! And it's only my second story, so don't judge.**

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Someone was knocking on my door. And I wanted them to go away. Far away. Because I knew who they were. It began like this…

* * *

"It's been fun. Don't come back." Those words still lingered in my mind. I couldn't believe she set me free. I honestly hadn't know what to even do once the elevator had taken me up, up, up. A different world had been set out in front of me. I could have gone back to… _Her_… Or walked to the city. Which, I did. And, I still don't know if that was the right decision or not.

"Chell? Chell!"

"Huh?" I replied. Damn. Another daze. I get into these a lot, and since she isn't here anymore to yell at me, it gets embarassing.

"Chell, hon, I'm closin' up for the night. Thanks for all your help. You know you didn't have to stay this long." Gloria smiled. Oh. Right. Gloria was one of the waitresses at The Tumbleweed Cafe. It had been one of the first places I'd walked into once I was set free. She got me a job, and I'd been able to afford a small apartment and some normal clothes.

"Yeah… 'Night." I said. My own voice still suprised me. It was high and squeaky. I yawned, trying not to obviously hint the fact that it was very late, my home was 3 miles from work, and my moped was out of gas.

"Ya need a ride, hon?" Gloria asked. I was lucky that she was so kind. Even though I never accepted any of her offers.

"Oh. Um, no. I think I'll be ok. It's summer, anyways, and I could use the exercise. Thanks though!" I smiled as I left the small building. Then, started home.

* * *

It was awfully hot, but the cool breeze kept the temperature from rising too much. I sighed, and urged my body to walk the last half mile to my lumpy air mattress.

As soon as my key had turned into the lock, the man walked up to me.

"'Ello! I was just askin' around, wondering if you've seen this girl I've been lookin' for. You see…"

I whipped around at that all too familiar voice, and was relieved for half of a second, not seeing a small core or a giant robot of death. But then, I just had to look at those eyes. I yelped. They were _electric_ blue. I knew who it was. And he knew who I was.

"It's you! Ahh.. I don't have to ask people anymore! I was getting sick of the dirty looks…" He said, the confidence slowly draining out of his voice. "But, it's you! How are you? I mean, you look great.."

I cut him off again by smacking him across his stupid, stupid face. "I hate you for what you did, and I will _never_ help you. Ever." And then, I kissed him.

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**Oooh.. Cliffhanger(?) Anyways… I hope you liked this. I enjoyed writing it. I'm going to be mean and only write chapter 2 ( which is in GLaDOS and Wheatley's POV ) if I get reviews. 1 review = 1 Loki hug! Okay, bye.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! I got one review, but it was enough for me. I don't even know how many people are reading this… But, that doesn't matter right now. What matters is… Chapter 2! So, stop reading this, and read the chapter. Enjoy.**

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I ran as fast as I could back into my apartment, and locked the door. My companion cube seemed to glow as it sensed my presence. I smiled, and sat down on top of it. He was the only piece of actual furniture I had, besides an uncomfortable mattress. It was a hard life, but much better than testing.

"C'mon, luv! Just open the door!" Wheatley pleaded. I sighed. I was NOT letting him in, no matter how much he begged. He could stay there all night, but there was no way I would even put one _finger_ on that doorknob. "GLaDOS needs us!"

I gasped. My heart started to pound. He said her name. No one should say her name. Suddenly, the room started to spin. My eyes darted around, trying to find the source of the turret sounds that were getting louder and louder. The smell of blood. The sight of the bittersweet paintings on the walls. The radio. I heard screaming. I think it was me.

"You okay in there? Just lemme in, I can explain!" Wheatley sounded frantic. He didn't know how disoriented I was. How those memories affected me.

"G...Go.. Aw...Away…" I whispered. "I… I'm… Fi...Fine…" But I was not fine.

And then, the door swung open. "You dropped your key." Wheatley murmurred. His electric eyes swept over me, noticing my tears and terrified expression. "You really are scared, aren't you." He said, keeping that soft, even tone. I examined his kind face, and nodded.

"If you're going to come in, then you have to forget that I kissed you, call me Chell, and explain _everything_." My hands were shaking. It was hard to get those words out.

"Oh! Is that your name? Alright then Chell, I'll explain."

* * *

"Hold still moron. I'm saving your life." GLaDOS growled, lifting me out of the orange portal. I was being rescued. By someone who hates me. God, she must really be lonely.

"Why? Oh no you're just gonna torture me until I can't remember my name." I moaned, my cracked optic sweeping around the room. Something was different. But I couldn't quite tell.

"Yes. You've caught on quickly. Goodbye, moron." She whispered, in that soft, menacing tone. And then I was being dropped down a chute.

* * *

"That's horrible. But how did you get out?" I asked, staring at Wheatley. He looked like he was enjoying my attention.

"The story isn't over yet, luv." He said.

* * *

"WhereamI?" I slurred, looking around. Something didn't feel right.

"You are in healing mode. Stay still as sleep induced medicine enters your bloodstream." The expressionless announcer's voice thundered throughout the room. I jumped up, and dodged the needle emerging from the ceiling tiles. I was getting out of there.

Wait a minute… Jumping…? I… Jumped? That had to mean that I had… Legs…

"Oh good. You're awake." GLaDOS purred over the intercom. "I see that you've found your new body parts. I'm going to have you test to get used to them. No need for medicine."

Then the floor opened up, and I was falling.

* * *

"So that's all, then?" I asked. Wheatley shook his head.

"Oh, no. I tested for a very long time. It was a good thing I knew my way around. And that the tests were easy." He suddenly grabbed my hand. "Now I finally understand what you've been through! Human bodies tire easily…And GL… _She_… Can be nasty."

I slowly took my hand from his, and nodded. "Yeah. She's absolutely horrible. But, how did you become a human?"

"Oh. Well… She built a machine. And apparently you have to type in coordinates. Except, they're not for a vehicle, they're for a human body. You enter traits and skills and whatnot, in the form of coordinates. She showed it to me, it looked really confusing." I took this in, turning the information around and around in my head.

"So… Why did she make you look like that? Was it random?" I asked.

"Nope! She had a person in mind. But, she's gonna explain all of that herself!" Wheatley announced, smiling.

I suddenly jumped up. "Wait… Am I… Going somewhere?" Wheatley nodded. "No. No no no no no."

"I'm sorry, Chell. She told me to take you. She needs you. So get on your boots and jumpsuit. We're going back to Aperature!"

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**Chapter 3 coming soon. But this time I want at least 2 new reviews. You'll get a free virtual Companion Cube! And, sorry for any typos. AND… Any confusing points will be explained by GLaDOS in the next chapter. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello! I've decided to abandon my rule. I love writing, so I don't really care about reviews…. But I would appreciate if you shared your thoughts… ;) Anyways… here's chapter 3. I apologize for any confusion in the previously, because I didn't make certain things very clear. And be prepared for a LONG CHAPTER! Enjoy ~_~**

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"Hang on!" I yelped. Wheatley sure had a strong grip. And god, was he determined. I wished he'd slow down though. I didn't want to go back, especially because that meant seeing _Her_ again. Wheatley even mentioned that she needed our help. Doing what? Killing innocent people? Making more robots into humans? My stomach turned over. I did not want to find out.

"Sorry, luv. I guess we can slow down and walk for a minute." Wheatley sighed. "And this is the perfect time to ask _you_ some questions. First off… You can talk! How? Speech therapy? I've heard of that before. I think. Also, how come you had that breakdown in your house? Do you not like it when I talk about Her? I guess you wouldn't. We both should be scared. Oh, by the way, I'm sorry. SO sorry! And I…"

"SHUT UP FOR A SECOND!" I screamed. Wheatley stopped abruptly, looking slightly hurt. "I'm sorry, but you talk _a lot_." He nodded. "Listen. I've always been able to talk. I was just… Too scared I guess. And if She knew that I could, I would be expected to reply to her insults…. And then we wouldn't get anything done."

"That makes sense. But you have a nice voice. It's unique. I like it!" Wheatley said with a small smile.

"Thank you. And, about the… Attack…Back at home… I, um, am emotionally scarred from my testing experience. So, when I get reminded of it, sometimes I'll break. I'm sorry."

"No, luv. I guess I kinda understand. In a way, you were there longer than me. And, She's mean. And, scary." He said, that quiet, even tone returning.

I nodded and sped up slightly as the rumble of thunder filled my ears, and lightning flashed across the night sky. Wheatley looked shocked.

"Um, Chell…. Is this… Rain?" He said it with so much fear in his voice, that I couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah, it's rain. Why? Do you not know what it is?" I asked as the cool downpour started.

"Oh. I do, but, I don't remember it as, water falling from the sky! Chell! Do you see it! Amazing! _Fantastic!_" He shouted, delight filling his voice instead of terror. This time, I was the one to take his hand. We picked up speed. And, for a moment, all of my doubts dissolved into the breeze. We were getting faster and faster, until it was as if me and my android friend were flying through the storm.

* * *

"Chell. Chell? Wake up, luv." He called, sounding so far away.

With a moan, I sat up, and was face to face with Wheatley. I lurched away, and with effort, stood. It was still dark out, and the heavy rain had turned to a dull trickle.

"I fell asleep?" I asked.

"Yep. We both did. But only for a bit. You looked tired, and so I let you sleep. Before I knew it, I had drifted off too!" Wheatley said with a grin. "But we're here, so it's okay." I switched my gaze to the little shed, only a few feet away.

"I can't go in there. She'll kill me." I muttered.

"I'll make sure she doesn't. C'mon." He said, looking into my eyes. Reluctantly, I followed him all the way into the elevator. And then, it was too late.

We passed turret after turret after turret after turret. All with their little red lasers pointed right at my head. Luckily our transport device moved way too fast, and was built out of bullet-proof glass.

"I remember, when She let me go, the turrets sang an opera for me."

"_Really?_" Wheatley questioned. "I didn't think turrets could sing."

"You'd be surprised. They went all out. I almost cried." I replied, gazing around, and noticing that the corridors and vast spaces of the facility that I could see, were polished and white. Not one vine in sight. She must have done some cleaning.

"Hmph. That's odd. Oh! Look we're here." He said, all too cheerful. My stomach lurched. Why was he happy? Was I being betrayed again? These thoughts and more raced through my mind as we stepped out of the small elevator. It was time. Time to face my fears. And I was not ready.

"Oh. Hello. It's good to see you again, _Chell_."

* * *

Wait. Who was this? This was not… GLaDOS. This was a woman! Where… How… Who…?

"You changed." Wheatley observed. And he was right. Standing in front of us was a young lady, looking about 20. She had thick, chestnut brown hair that fell to her shoulders in neat, shiny waves. She wore an Aperture tank top and pencil skirt. Her lips were bright red. She was actually very pretty. But there was one thing. Her eyes. Electric orange. Exactly like GLaDOS's optic. She had a lot of eyeliner on too, so they were extra frightening.

"Yes. I have. I tried out the machine." Her voice was the same as the evil AI's. Calm, robotic, mocking. "Chell. This is Caroline."

My voice caught in my throat. I squeezed my eyes shut. I felt a hand on my back and knew that it was Wheatley. I would _never_ let that evil woman touch me. Never.

"But, this isn't what I needed to tell you. Chell, I know you hate me, but,"

"NO!" I screamed. I turned around to run, but Wheatley grabbed me. I struggled, but like I said earlier, he had a firm grip. I couldn't breathe. I was angry and terrified and… And then something happened… He leaned down, just a bit, and whispered something in my ear.

"She was sobbing when she asked me to find you. That evil, wretched monster couldn't catch her breath. She needs to talk to you Chell. Just listen for a minute. You don't even have to look at her. You can face me. But, the most important thing is that, _I will not let her hurt you_." His warm breath tickled in my ear. I stopped struggling and let out a breath. Those words were so comforting. But, I still had to make sure.

"You won't?" I asked. The simplest thing. I had to make sure. I had to. Because, I felt something. A sort of… Spark.

"Never." He whispered. And that was all I needed.

* * *

Once I had collected myself, I faced GLaDOS once more. "I'm sorry. What do you want to tell me?" I say quietly. Wheatley kept his hand on my back.

"Do you promise that you'll listen?"

"Yes."

"Alright. Well, it began when we were in Aperture's basement. I was noticing the old office buildings, and then I saw the picture. Of course, I look different now than in that portrait, but that was definitly me, standing with Cave Johnson. And, if that wasn't enough, I heard the recordings." She paused to take a long breath. She held it for a minute, then exhaled. "Oh, the recordings. The memories were choppy, but as we continued our journey, pieces came back, little by little, and then I remembered everything." Her eyes were glassy. "Chell, I… I'm your mother."

* * *

"What?" I murmurred. "How can that be…" But I stopped. And remembered. GLaDOS had begun to stick up for me down in the basement, and before she let me go, she had claimed that I was her friend. Maybe she meant daughter. It all started making sense. "Who's my father?" I demanded, my voice getting louder.

"Cave." I nodded slowly, processing everything.

"Is there any way that you could explain more?" That was fair to ask. Right?

"I suppose." She said. "Pretty much, Cave and I fell in love, and well… I got pregnant. We couldn't tell anyone, because we would be fired, and the whole company would suffer. And Black Mesa would finally have its revenge…" Her expression was distant for a moment, but then GLaDOS snapped back into reality. "But I loved you more than anything, more than_ science_. And I know Cave did too. So, I did the best thing that I could. I gave you to a close friend. Douglas."

"Who…" I started.

"Ratman. Doug Ratman. He adopted you."

"WHAT! That's the guy living in the walls. You're killing this poor man. And he was kind enough to give me a home. And, on top of that, you used to give me all that _shit_ about being adopted! How… What…"

"Used to Chell. I used to. But that was when I didn't know who you were. I knew that you were special, but I didn't know how. I'm so sorry."

"Can I have a minuite? Just… Please?" I asked, hot tears of anger welling up in my eyes. Both androids nodded. It made me so happy that Wheatley knew that I wanted to be alone. _He just knew_. I walked off into a hall and pressed myself onto the cool, white wall. I started to relax, when I heard the two of them talking.

"I can't believe that you're her mum. After all you did to her, and now… This? You know that you're kind of a monster, right?"

"I do know. But she needs to understand that I had no idea that we were related. I started supporting her, hell, I set her free when I realized it!" GLaDOS cried. "I'm not going to be mean anymore. I just wished she knew that."

"Change your voice."

"What?"

"Change your voice, GLaDOS."

"How… "

"If you want her to listen, then change your voice."

"I'll… I'll try, Wheatley, but I don't think I'll be able to." I then heard the sound of heels clicking away on the hard, slippery floor.

I emerged from my hallway. "I'm okay." I said when he started to move towards me.

* * *

We waited for hours. Wheatley and I walked around half the facility and back, by the time she was ready. We said nothing the entire time. But I never let go of his hand for a second.

"It worked." Said GLaDOS, walking up to us. Her voice was angelic. Maybe it was because I was used to her demonic robot tone. It was perky and sweet, low and high at the same time. I was mad at myself for loving it. She seemed like the perfect mother. And, I was so sad that she couldn't raise me.

"GLaDOS, now is a kind of bad time, but…"

"Caroline."

"Right. Sorry." Wheatley muttered, but recovered quickly and continued his sentence. "Well, you asked me before I left… What the humans had done with the place." He glanced at me. "The place, being the world… Chell, do you wanna answer that? I mean,"

"Let me explain." Caroline said with a genuine smile that made me want to smile back. I mean, I'm her daughter, but I can understand why Cave fell for her. "You see," She started. "I haven't been in the outside world since, well…. Forever. Aperture has always been my entire life. So, when I was too much of a coward to face the outside world to get you… I sent Wheatley. I wanted to know about the world, so I asked him to fill me in when he got back. But, I think that you would do a much better job. Hmm?" She finished with another heart warming grin.

I sighed, and began to speak the longest sentence to my mother that I would remember. "We've destroyed it. The entire earth, ( as far as I know ) has been completely polluted. I guess that I was lucky to find a space of land that wasn't horrifying. The fresh foods are imported from closed off factories. So, I guess that doesn't even make them fresh. My friend told me this, by the way." I sighed. She was listening to me. Actually interested. And it made me so happy. And I was mad to be happy. But sad to be mad. I fought back another wave of tears. And didn't flinch once when Wheatley wrapped his arms around me.

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**Alright. That's all for now. I really liked writing this chapter, and I hope it cleared some things up. This is also my first shot at romance, so forgive me if it's choppy. Heh =) Review if you want, I hope you enjoyed!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi again! Sorry for the wait. The Sherlock fandom kidnapped me and tied me to a chair. **

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"Laboratory corruption in 48 hours." I shivered. That was another voice that I didn't miss from my testing days. The Announcer.

"Eh… What was that?" Wheatley asked. "Because it didn't sound very good. Unless it was! Or… Maybe not. But, it could be! Or, not. Are we going to die?" His voice slowly got smaller and smaller, until he sounded very nervous.

"To put the situation in simple terms," Caroline stated, "Yes. We are going to die." Wheatley made a squeaking noise. Apparently, he can change his personality from brave to terrified, very quickly. "This is what I needed you for. Come on, follow me so we can sit down."

Caroline ( I decided to call her that after some thought, it was much better that GLaDOS anyways… ) lead us down many corridors, her heels clicking rhythmically on the cold, tile floor. She was going very fast, and seemed nervous, and she kept dodging certain paths. I decided to ask her once we got to wherever she was leading us.

* * *

Eventually the walking came to an end, and we emerged in a small room. It had light orange wallpaper and a tan carpet over the tile flooring. There was a computer on a desk with a swivel chair in the corner, and two, small loveseats pushed up against the wall. There was a winding staircase by the door. Wheatley immediately threw himself on one of the couches, sighing with over exaggeration. I sat down next to him with a tiny grin. Caroline took the chair.

"Now. Tell us what's going on." I stated, watching her crimson eyes dart around the room. "And explain thoroughly. Don't leave anything out." She nodded, and fixed her gaze to me.

"Well. Almost right after I changed into Caroline, the facility started shutting down. Turrets rebelled, tanks of neurotoxin exploded, and test chambers just, kind of, fell apart."

"Is that why you were avoiding certain hallways?" I asked.

"Yup. You never can be too careful with poisonous gas and turrets…" Caroline muttered in reply. "I've closed off most of the facility, it's way too dangerous. And, Wheatley, what you heard was… Well… Our doomsday timer." She chuckled softly at his slightly horrified expression. "I'm sure you're all familiar with The Announcer?" Wheatley and I nodded. "Well, he's rebelling too, and now I don't even have my voice to try to control him."

"So… Just… Go." I retorted stubbornly. Realizing that I had repeated her last words to me when she was GLaDOS, my eyes grew large with surprise, but I continued anyways. "Into the city, I mean. You look normal, except for your eyes, but we can fix that with sunglasses. As for humanity being slowly destroyed… I can show you parts of Michigan that aren't wrecked."

Caroline gave me a sour look. "I _can't_." She seemed to struggle with her words. "Aperture is my life. My only life. There's nothing out there for me. And, besides, a captain always goes down with the ship, right?" She gave us a weak smile, and clasped her shaking hands together.

"But, you're not the captain." Wheatley blurted out suddenly, surprising both of us. "Cave Johnson is."

Caroline's eyes looked bright again as she replied, "For a complete and utter _moron_ you catch on quickly." He looked shocked. "I'm only joking Wheatley. I don't intend to insult you anymore." He sighed. "But, you're correct. And that's why he's going to help us."

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**Yeah… That was too short, I know. Sorry :( More reviews = Happy me = Longer chapters! Yaaay! Oh and, I looked up the location of Aperture, and it said Michigan. So… If I'm wrong, blame Wikipedia :\ **


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed\favorited\followed my story! And sorry for another long wait, I've been kind of un-creative lately… :\ But then, I got a visit from The Sketchbook, and she taught me a lesson.* Alas, here I am.**

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"Hurry up! We're running out of tiiimeee…" Caroline insisted, her insanely perfect hair flying out behind her as she dashed down the endless corridors once again. When we passed certain rooms, Wheatley and I agreed that there was a faint smell of blood. She ran incredibly fast for an android in stilettos, and I had to pause to catch my breath quite often, despite her sarcastic comments. ( I swear to god that she's still GLaDOS inside there somewhere… )

"So… Cave… Johnson? Some… Where…? How…? He… Died…?" Wheatley gasped out. Caroline gave him a pathetic little smile.

"Oh, _do_ catch up. If you knew about him in the first place, wouldn't you know that he didn't believe in endings, and science was forever, and that a few moon rocks wouldn't harm him, and that he could just freeze his body?! Honestly, it's kind of obvious." She blinked like crazy for a second, and looked very troubled. I asked her if she was okay. She didn't answer.

"Soooo… He made people freeze his dead body, so he could be brought back to life when other people developed that kind of technology." Wheatley questioned, tilting his head just a bit, and for some reason, it made me want to smile like crazy. I held it back though.

Caroline had recovered, and replied with her own crazy smile. "Yes! And, I've developed that technology. I may be smart, _very smart_, but not smart enough to deactivate the atomic bomb in the heart of Aperture. But, with a little ( okay, a lot ) of help from Cave, it'll be easy!"

"Okay… Seems simple enough, but, how do we get him?" I asked, tired of her and Wheatley's little discussion, without me.

"We go back into Aperture's basement."

"Oh."

"Remember PotaDOS?"

"Of course…"

"Hey, I have an idea!" Wheatley muttered. "Stop talking about that. I didn't mean to, I was power crazy, and _I'm sorry_."

"It's okay Wheat, we'll stop." I replied, squeezing his arm lightly. We both seemed surprised by the contact, and I let go quickly.

* * *

Finally the running came to an abrupt halt, and Caroline grabbed my shirt collar, perfectly manicured nails scraping my neck. I had almost fallen in a hole. Quite literally. There was a gigantic pit in front of us. We stood on a small metal bridge overlooking it. "Woah there hun!" She laughed, reminding me suddenly of Gloria. I missed her, and my companion cube. I sighed, and put it out of my head for the time being.

"Um. I hate to kill the energetic mood, but, how the hell are we gonna get down there? Chell's the only one with long fall boots…" Wheatley asked quietly. I found myself wondering if it was bad to think that the person who tried to kill me was extremely adorable. And handsome too. I had never looked at him closely, and not gotten distracted by his extraordinary eyes. So, I snuck a glance, and looked past the glowing blue orbs. He had messy black hair, and was tall and skinny. He didn't exactly 'tower' over me, but he was at least 6 feet. There were thick framed black glasses resting on his pointy nose. I didn't resist smiling this time, and to my surprise, he smiled back, with all of his white teeth.

"If you two would stop _flirting_, I would like to show you something!" Caroline announced, making me blush. ( Since when did I blush?! ) Once I forced myself out of another daze, I watched in awe as my so called mother pressed a conveniently placed red button, and a pair of androids walked up, carrying three pairs of long fall boots, and three portal guns. I swallowed a scream. Returning to Aperture was one thing, but testing was completely different. I had no idea how to handle this.

"This is P-Body," The woman stepped forward. "and this is Atlas." The man stepped forward. P-Body looked a bit younger than me, so not very old at all, and she had light orange hair, and the typical Aperture jumpsuit. Her eyes were a dull yellow, definitely not as shocking as Caroline's. Atlas looked a tad older, with blue hair and eyes, and a small, stocky build. "What?!" Caroline snapped in response to our surprised expressions. "I _experimented_, okay?" I rolled my eyes, and Wheat just nodded, a distant look on his dopey face.

After we had taken the mandatory testing gear from the silent androids, ( I was the only one to thank them ) we strapped everything on. I started to hyperventilate a little bit, but Wheatley's confident grin made me feel less faint. We agreed to jump on the count of three.

_"One."_

"You okay? You're pale…"

_"Two."_

"Chell? It's gonna be alright luv."

_"Three."_

I screamed and screamed and screamed.

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**Too short? Too long? Lemme know. *I AM PADLOCKED HELP ME OH MY GOD. TOO MUCH FAN ART AND I'VE WATCHED THE FIRST VIDEO TOO MANY TIMES GREEN IS NOT A CREATIVE COLOR AM I THE ONLY ONE IN THIS FANDOM PM ME AND REASSURE MEEEEEEEEEEEEE**


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